Congolese musician Nzaya Nzayadio dies of COVID-19

Nzayadio died on 7 December at Hull Royal Infirmary in Hull City, UK, where he had been admitted for the past two weeks after contracting COVID-19. He was actively involved in the music scene for more than 40 years.

“My heart, like many other musicians who knew him, was broken because I have not only lost a colleague, but also a friend,” British-Congolese musician Fiston Lusambo told Music In Africa.

“He developed breathing complications related to COVID-19 and had to be admitted to the ICU. He will be dearly missed here in the UK and everywhere else. He will be remembered as a great composer and magnificent singer.”

Lusambo said the date of Nzayadio’s funeral service would be announced in due course. He said African musicians in the UK would also organise a tribute in his memory.

Nzayadio was born in 1955 in Kinshasa and was one of the many Congolese musicians trained at the Simon Kimbangu-founded Kimbanguist Church. Other musicians who emerged from the church were the late Madilu System and Pepe Kalle.

In 1973, Nzayadio was recruited into the Orchestre Lipua Lipua band where he shared the stage with other Congolese greats like Pepe Kalle and Nyboma. He had previously played with orchestra Bakuba Mayopi, which was founded by Madilu System. He also played with soukous band Choc Stars, whose members included General Defao and Carlyto Lassa.

In 2006, Nzayadio travelled to the UK where he would eventually settle. He began to record and perform with various African bands and in 2010 he joined the Nzongzing All Stars as lead singer, two years after it was founded by guitarist and composer Lusambo. The band boasted British and African musicians such as Saidi Kanda (Tanzania) and Antoine Luwta (DRC), among others.

Nzayadio was also well known in Kenya with songs like ‘Matoba’ and ‘Nouvelle Generation’. He collaborated with local artists and his last project in the country was the Ketebul All Stars album in 2018.

“In Congo, there are musicians who have what I call ‘haunting voices’ and they are Pepe Kalle, Madilu and Nzaya,” Ketebul Music executive director Tabu Osusa said. “Their voices were unique and difficult to imitate. I first met Nzaya in Congo in the ‘70s and we later reconnected during his first visit in Kenya where he recorded at my studio accompanied by Lusambo and Saidi Kanda.

“His popularity in Kenya was at the time when he was the lead singer of Orchestra Lipua Lipua, which was one of the bands owned by musician and producer Verckys Kiamuangana Mateta. He was one of the most honest and genuinely nice people in the business.”